By way of introduction, I should say: I am a massive Sherlock Holmes fan. Ever since “The Speckled Band” sent me to sleep terrified of the radiator’s hiss, I have been devouring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation and the many fictions it has inspired.

It was no surprise, then, that I was taken with The Testament of Sherlock Holmes when I saw it at E3. Now completed after a 15-hour playthrough, does the game live up to its positive first impression?

The answer to that question, to put it with un-Holmesian inexactness, is “sort of.” That’s not to say that Ukranian developers Frogwares don’t get a lot right. For one thing, they have a fan’s love of the source material, which means they nail what had to be nailed: the characters of Holmes and Watson.

It starts with the writing, which is plausibly Victorian and occasionally quite funny. The line “it will fall as flat as one of Mrs. Hudson’s souffles” cracked my girlfriend up, one room over. Sure, they may have had five previous Holmes games to practice on, but Frogwares could still teach bigger, richer studios a thing about interesting dialogue.

I was also particularly impressed by the voice acting, which builds on the writing to capture Holmes’ Asperger’s arrogance and Watson’s earnest bluster, the latter played (cleverly) for laughs. The game also brought the pair’s unlikely friendship to life in conversation — their personality clashes are key to the characters’ long-time success.

You’ll control both Holmes and Watson before the game is through, with interesting results. Holmes is always telling Watson what to do, and when playing as the affable doctor, you’re always one step behind, trying to follow the master detective’s thought process. This sense of uncertainty increases the dramatic tension, but also provides a surprising video game parallel. Holmes’ penchant for giving orders and Watson’s unwillingness (or inability) to disobey them resembles the relationship between a game and a gamer. “The game is afoot. Not a word! Into your clothes and come!” games are always saying. “But…” we stutter through our mustaches, then do whatever they say. If Frogwares had had the gumption to make a game in which you control Watson the whole time, following Holmes around and doing his bidding, while trying to figure out his motives, what a game it might have been.

Unlock Sherlock Holmes’ last will and testament on the Playstation 3 with these trophies. We aren’t exactly sure what’s in this new adventure game from Frogware, in which Sherlock joins with his trusty partner Watson to solve some devilishly clever puzzles in London, but we can make some educated guesses based on the trophy descriptions. You’ll be cracking safes, mixing chemicals, and getting help from the hint system. There’s plenty more insight below, just follow the evidence.

If following evidence is your problem, use our text walkthrough to unravel the criminal conspiracy. For another helping of extra insight, take a trip down to the cheats page.

Trophies

Sherlock Holmes’ will (Platinum):
Strength and perseverance to the end.

Elementary (Silver):
It seems you share my love of all that is bizarre. You recovered the Samoan necklace, well done!

Safecracker (Bronze):
You would make a highly efficient criminal.

Blackmailer (Bronze):
Your morals don’t improve!

Sleuth-Hound (Gold):
The beautiful, faithful nature of dogs!

Garden Gumshoe (Bronze):
With your usual happy mixture of cunning and audacity, you recovered all that was stolen!

Hidden Message (Bronze):
See the value of imagination!

The Gambler (Bronze):
You have never failed to play the game!

The Holmesian (Silver):
I was sure that I might rely on you. You found all the items from my past adventures.

Freedom of the Press (Bronze):
The Press is a most valuable institution – if you only know how to use it!

Attention to Detail (Silver):
You have a turn for both observation and deduction!

Finders Key-pers (Silver):
You handled that with less than your usual – that is to say, you handled it well. You found the key!

Minesweeper (Gold):
Your nerves are fairly proof!

Anarchy in the UK (Bronze):
There are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world without them.

Watson Alone (Bronze):
The one fixed point in a changing age.

The Brain (Gold):
I never get your limits… there are unexplored possibilities about you.

A Very Fine Loafer (Bronze):
There are in you the makings of a very fine loafer.

Pea-Souper (Bronze):
Moonshine is a brighter thing than fog, but this is a pea-souper! You asked for Help a great deal.

First-Class Chemist (Bronze):
It was the bisulphate of baryta!

Prison Break (Bronze):
A trusty comrade is always of use. Well done. And yet one got away…

Breaking the Law (Silver):
I have a great deal of respect for your judgement. You opened the safe room!

Desperately Seeking Sherlock (Bronze):
I would have made an actor – and a rare one. You deduced my disguise.

Lazarus (Gold):
An isolated phenomenon? A brain without a heart? I trust that you did not judge me so quickly!

Lockpicker (Bronze):
I can see that you are a force to be reckoned with.

Deduction Apprentice (Bronze):
To a great mind, nothing is little. You completed the first deduction board.

Master of Deduction (Silver):
Genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains. Bravo!

Number Lover (Silver):
With all respect for your natural acumen, you handled that very well. You opened the safe box!

Melomania (Silver):
You are a conductor of light! You discovered the hidden code.

A Fine Romance (Silver):
The most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning. But I digress. You found the letter!

Bomb Defuser (Silver):
You never can resist a touch of the dramatic!

Stage Manager (Silver):
A simple trick, but exceedingly effective!

The Legacy (Gold):
I must compliment you exceedingly upon the zeal and the intelligence which you have shown.

Law of Nature (Silver):
One’s ideas must be as broad as Nature if they are to interpret Nature. Well done!

Welcome to the Sherlock Holmes achievements page, where you’ll find the full list of achievements available in the fourth of the famous detective’s adventures from Frogware. Below, you can gleam insight into the contents of the game, or just get a quick look at the challenges you’ll face as the pair solve yet another dastardly set of puzzles spread across London.

And these puzzles won’t be easy, so check out our Sherlock Holmes walkthrough here. Or, find more extras on the cheats page.

Achievements

Law of Nature (30 points):
One’s ideas must be as broad as Nature if they are to interpret Nature. Well done!

The Legacy (150 points):
I must compliment you exceedingly upon the zeal and the intelligence which you have shown.

Stage Manager (20 points):
A simple trick, but exceedingly effective!

Bomb Defuser (20 points):
You never can resist a touch of the dramatic!

A Fine Romance (20 points):
The most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning. But I digress. You found the letter!

Melomania (20 points):
You are a conductor of light! You discovered the hidden code.

Number Lover (20 points):
With all respect for your natural acumen, you handled that very well. You opened the safe box!

Deduction Apprentice (20 points):
To a great mind, nothing is little. You completed the first deduction board.

Lockpicker (20 points):
I can see that you are a force to be reckoned with.

Lazarus (50 points):
An isolated phenomenon? A brain without a heart? I trust that you did not judge me so quickly!

Desperately Seeking Sherlock (20 points):
I would have made an actor – and a rare one. You deduced my disguise.

Breaking the Law (30 points):
I have a great deal of respect for your judgement. You opened the safe room!

Prison Break (20 points):
A trusty comrade is always of use. Well done. And yet one got away…

First-Class Chemist (20 points):
It was the bisulphate of baryta!

Pea-Souper (10 points):
Moonshine is a brighter thing than fog, but this is a pea-souper! You asked for Help a great deal.

A Very Fine Loafer (20 points):
There are in you the makings of a very fine loafer.

The Brain (100 points):
I never get your limits… there are unexplored possibilities about you.

Watson Alone (20 points):
The one fixed point in a changing age.

Anarchy in the UK (20 points):
There are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world without them.

Minesweeper (50 points):
Your nerves are fairly proof!

Finders Key-pers (30 points):
You handled that with less than your usual – that is to say, you handled it well. You found the key!

Attention to Detail (30 points):
You have a turn for both observation and deduction!

Freedom of the Press (20 points):
The Press is a most valuable institution – if you only know how to use it!

The Holmesian (30 points):
I was sure that I might rely on you. You found all the items from my past adventures.

The Gambler (20 points):
You have never failed to play the game!

Hidden Message (20 points):
See the value of imagination!

Garden Gumshoe (20 points):
With your usual happy mixture of cunning and audacity, you recovered all that was stolen!

Sleuth-Hound (50 points):
The beautiful, faithful nature of dogs!

Blackmailer (20 points):
Your morals don’t improve!

Safecracker (20 points):
You would make a highly efficient criminal.

Elementary (30 points):
It seems you share my love of all that is bizarre. You recovered the Samoan necklace, well done!

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/the-testament-of-sherlock-holmes-achievements/feed/0The Testament of Sherlock Holmes Walkthroughhttp://www.gamefront.com/the-testament-of-sherlock-holmes-walkthrough/
http://www.gamefront.com/the-testament-of-sherlock-holmes-walkthrough/#commentsSat, 22 Sep 2012 07:51:52 +0000GameFront Staffhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=185019Get more high-quality Sherlock Holmes cheats and game guides just like this on the Game Front video game walkthrough app where the latest easter eggs and extras are uploaded daily.GameFront Video Walkthroughs app for iOSGameFront Video Walkthroughs app for Android

The game is afoot. Welcome to our walkthrough to The Testament of Sherlock Holmes, where we’ll try to help you unravel the newest mystery in the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series. Once again, there’s a devious plot unfolding in London, and Scotland Yard calls upon Holmes and Watson to solve this new set of mysteries. Like a true adventure game, you’ll be going from place to place, uncovering clues and talking to characters to find new leads. London is a big city, and you’ll have free roam as you unlock new areas to explore with each major step forward in the case. But beware, this is no casual adventure title. The Sherlock Holmes series is known for hardcore puzzle solving.

Not all of us can be as smart as Sherlock, so check out our full guide with puzzles solutions below. We’ll keep you updated, and periodically update until every case is solved.

Welcome to the cheats page for The Testament of Sherlock Holmes, where we comb old London town for anything extra or special located in Frogware’s fourth adventure based on the literary detective. Anything from locations, achievement guides, secrets, easter eggs, or glitches can be found here; listed and linked for your browsing convenience below. There’s a whole world of mystery waiting for you out there, check out everything we’ve got so far below. And don’t forget we’ll keep updated with new information as it becomes available, so check back.

If you’re needing help solving the complex puzzles in Testament, look for the answer on our text walkthrough.

I wasn’t expecting much when I sat down to check out The Testament of Sherlock Holmes at E3 2012, but it ended up being one my favorite games at the show. Developed by European studio Frogwares, the title is the sixth in a series of Holmes adaptations for various platforms. As a die-hard fan of the character and a long-time adventure game enthusiast, I left the booth feeling like I had been missing out on something great.

Testament… made a striking first impression with its beautiful, detailed Victorian environments, which provided the perfect setting for the world’s greatest detective to ply his trade in, and provide crucial immersion into the world of Sherlock Holmes. The character models were similarly well-executed — Frogwares’ Holmes is based on actor Jeremy Brett, who played the character in a successful series of adaptations for British television — personal favorites of mine since childhood. In general, the quality of the 3D graphics is far higher than what players have come to expect in adventure games, without compromising that genre’s distinctive strengths.

At various points in the game, players will control Holmes, Watson, and even the bloodhound, Toby, whose keen sense of smell is often useful. The writing and voice acting for the principals and the supporting cast was consistently impressive — no small achievement, considering the period setting. Holmes’ arrogance, Watson’s bluff innocence, the confusion of NPC’s not sure how to react to the great detective’s eccentricities — it was all there.

Two investigation set-pieces were made available in LA: a case involving a stolen necklace, and a grisly murder of an archbishop. Both crimes will be woven into a larger intrigue; according Frogware’s representative, Holmesians have provided a lot of positive feedback about the company’s contributions to the canon. That said, in Testament… the developers have opted for a more gruesome, gorey presentation than some fans will be used to.

Gameplay provides a mix of investigation, deduction, and puzzle solving. Investigating the environments for clues will remind some players of L.A. Noire — not exactly pixel-hunting, but more an exercise in carefully combing the scene until all the clues — signified by button prompts — are found. Players can use both a 1st- and 3rd-person camera, and some scenes of close scrutiny — the archbishop’s mangled body, for example — trigger their own perspectives.

Holmes will also occasionally deploy a tool like a tape measure or his distinctive magnifying glass to gather information — one sequence in the demo asked players to measure various footprints and then decide how many people had been in the room. Such revelations are then combined with the clues found through visual investigation and those divined through conversation with NPC’s on a “deduction board.” This is a gamified flow-chart that gives players a framework for arriving at the correct conclusions. Trial-and-error can yield some results, but overall, the deduction system is challenging, neither too simple nor too frustrating.

The game also includes a variety of puzzles, which are generally creative and satisfying. One sequence in the demo involving a kind of stylized chess problem almost made me late for my next appointment — I wasn’t about concede defeat. After finishing a particular set-piece, players can choose which leads to pursue, and in what order — a pleasant piece of branching storytelling that must have given the Frogwares writing staff fits.

Thanks to its AAA production values, unapologetic adventure gameplay, and its slam-dunk take on the source material, The Testament of Sherlock Holmes is a must-play for me when it releases this September. Now, I realize that in my case, Frogwares is preaching to the converted, but if you like adventure or mystery, consider picking up this underhyped gem.

E3 2012 might be known by some as the “Super Bowl of Gaming,” but it’s not just about the best-known and winningest teams on the field. E3 is actually brimming with games that you’ve probably never even heard of — and many that don’t get the kind of coverage the big boys bring in, and certainly not the coverage they deserve.

Luckily, as PC players, we get exposed to lots of games that aren’t bound to the traditional developer/publisher paradigm, and we spent a big part of our E3 checking out games off the beaten path. We’ve compiled a list from each of our E3 2012 ground team members of titles that should definitely be on your radar this year and into 2013.

Ben Richardson’s Pick

The Testament of Sherlock Holmes

I’m a big Sherlock Holmes fan and a big adventure game fan, so I was already expecting to like The Testament of Sherlock Holmes. To my surprise, these expectations were exceed. Developed by European studio Frogwares, the game is a worthy addition to the Conan Doyle canon, combining excellent writing and voice acting with beautiful environments that capture Victorian living space in splendid Edwardian detail. Though the game depends on a variety of complicated investigation mechanics, solving crimes feels intellectual without being obtuse, and the demo gameplay included a number of clever puzzles.

Frogwares’ version of the World’s Greatest Detective is modeled on actor Jeremy Brett, who starred in a series of adaptations for British television in the 80′s and 90′s. Brett is by far my favorite onscreen Holmes (Robert Downey Jr. should stick to Iron Man), so I was thrilled to see his avatar in action. I look forward September, when the game will most definitely be afoot.

Ross Lincoln’s Pick

A Mother’s Inferno

My trip to Indiecade the second day of E3 led me to several hidden gems, but the best of the best was A Mother’s Inferno, an absolutely creepy first person game created in just under 2 months by students at the Danish Academy of Digital Interactive Entertainment. Creepy, weird, trippy and made on a shoestring budget, it still managed to overcome its severe limitations and hint at a concept that could, if properly supported, turn into a truly original AAA game. It’s available for free download on Mac and PC, and you should rush to do so immediately. (You acan do so right here)

Phil Hornshaw’s Picks

Pid

Calling it now: Pid is this year’s LIMBO. Beautiful, unassuming side-scrolling adventure platformer with a great cartoonish look and a game mechanic that feels fresh. Pid has players throwing down gems that produce short-lived beams of light, and those beams push the main character through the air at various angles and over obstacles. It’s a lot like the similar beams in Portal 2, with more emphasis on their angles and directions, as well as the speed with which you activate them. I played the entire upcoming demo at E3, and the game definitely got tough in a hurry — but I was rewarded for having years of highly tuned platforming skills, and really getting used to handling the beams only took a little while.

It’s not so dark and brooding as LIMBO, nor quite so artsy, but what Pid has going for it are some tightly designed puzzles that are going to challenge players’ mental faculties as well as reflexes. The cost of failure is minimal, the frustration engendered nearly nonexistent, and the satisfaction for moving on and hitting the very frequent checkpoints palpable. Plus, there’s a cooperative mode that sounds a great deal like that of Portal 2, reimagined in a 2-D space. I didn’t get to try that, but from the sounds of things, you won’t be able to play it with a teammate who slacks.

Brick-Force

The spiffy thing about Brick-Force is that it melds together two really popular things: Minecraft and shooting people. The result is a Minecraft-like first-person shooter with some extensive block-based level editing and a more than competent shooting game set over top of it. I’d previously checked out Brick-Force before but never had had a real chance to see it in action. At E3, I was introduced to the new layers that Brick-Force developers Infernum and EXE have planned for later this year — in a word, more ways to play their game. Particularly interesting was a mode in which the start of the game has each team separated and forced to build a base inside of three minutes. When they’re done, the barrier between the teams is dropped and it’s time to fight in their newly created strongholds. Very cool.

But in general I like the idea of user creativity that’s being brought into more and more games. In a world in which fewer titles get mod tools and with the rise of paid downloadable content, Brick-Force is a game that’s basically perpetually in beta, offering new things up and letting the community test them, but also fully reliant on the community’s creative influence to make the game fun. The run-off of Minecraft’s popularity could potentially be a continued rise in games that encourage players to sculpt their worlds, instead of just shuttling people into some virtual universe with which they have no influence. Plus, Brick-Force is free-to-play and fun, if you can get into its “open VIP beta.”

Raiderz

MMOs intrigue me but I tend to stick to only the big guns and only one at a time, but I have to say that Perfect World’s free-to-play Raiderz intrigues me. It’s an MMO with an aim toward big boss fights — basically, a sort of Monster Hunter game, as it was described to me. But Perfect World has an eye to make it feel different in as many ways as possible from other MMOs. For one, you’ll constantly be crafting new stuff, and your rewards for killing those huge monsters won’t be unique bits of loot, but unique crafting materials.

What’s more, the kind of combat you’ll be taking part in as you travel the world will constantly change, because you can pick stuff up off just about every monster you kill. Fighting skeleton archers? Grab one of their bows and become an archer yourself. Beating down zombies? Snag one of their skulls and use it as a grenade. The alternatives to gameplay are great; you even get to carry around two sets of weapons and spec toward differing combat roles based on your class. There seems to be a lot of innovation going on over at Perfect World in preparation for getting the game done later this year.

LA Noire is probably the best detective game ever made, but that’s not saying much, seeing as how the rest of them are pretty much terrible. But, hey, we finally have a truly current-gen Sherlock Holmes game coming out early next year, and so maybe, just maybe, it’ll be awesome. I have a trailer here for you for this game, called The Testament of Sherlock Holmes, and it kind of… looks good? See for yourself.